Norton Sound fishers earned a record $6.05 million in the commercial crab, salmon, and halibut fisheries this year. That’s according to a press release from Norton Sound Seafood Products (NSSP), which bought the fish.

With strong chum and coho harvests, the salmon fishery was especially valuable, earning fishers $2.8 million — more than double last year’s ex-vessel value of $1.2 million. The crab harvest earned $2.56 million.

NSSP Operations Manager William “Middy” Johnson attributes the season’s success in part to the experience of his team:

“Seasons are as they are, and you always have things that come up that you have to adjust to, but having a good management team, guys that have been here for a long time that know the ropes that just keep getting better every year, makes it easier on all of us.”

A total of 172 fishers sold their 2017 catch to NSSP, a division of Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation. In addition, NSSP employed 258 seasonal workers at processing plants, buying stations, and vessels throughout the region. Altogether, these workers earned $2.5 million, and Johnson says they provided important support to local fisheries:

“Having a great support with our tender services and our buying stations that we’re operating out of the villages now, it really goes a long way to making improvements and increasing our capacities each year.”

Johnson also pointed to a good working relationship with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which he says allowed NSSP to focus on the most abundant and valuable species.

Image at top: Norton Sound red king crab. Photo: Jenn Ruckel, KNOM.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/11/03/norton-sound-fisheries-net-record-6-million-in-2017/feed/031936Strong Year for Commercial Salmon Harvest Statewidehttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/10/11/strong-year-for-commercial-salmon-harvest-statewide/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/10/11/strong-year-for-commercial-salmon-harvest-statewide/#commentsWed, 11 Oct 2017 19:09:02 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=31498Alaska Department of Fish & Game harvest and value estimates released last week show a jump in both catch and prices paid to fishermen in 2017, as well as the all-time record chum harvest statewide.]]>

Commercial salmon fishermen across the state have had a “banner year.”

Last week, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) released a preliminary harvest summary that estimates fishermen caught 224.6 million wild salmon this year and earned $678.8 million selling the fish to processors.

That’s a 66.7% increase from last year’s catch value. According to Forrest Bowers, Deputy Director of ADF&G’s Division of Commercial Fisheries, there are a couple reasons for the jump: fishermen caught more salmon in 2017, and they were paid higher prices for the fish.

Alaska wild salmon, Bowers says, is a strong brand in a market that includes farmed salmon from around the world:

“I think Alaska has done a great job with marketing wild salmon. Alaska fishermen have made a lot of improvements in their product handling and product quality, and I think processors have taken a number steps to come out with new product forms that appeal to consumers.”

According to the summary, the statewide chum salmon harvest hit an all-time record high this year, and the harvest of sockeye salmon — the most valuable species — exceeded 50 million fish for the third year in a row.

Bowers says these numbers are encouraging:

“I think the main thing that it indicates is that Alaska’s salmon management program is successful. You know we have really pristine habitat throughout the state. We’re looking at a long-term approach, so that we can harvest sustainably without impacting future returns in a negative way.”

With strong community support for salmon throughout the state, Bowers is optimistic the good luck will not go away, especially in Western Alaska:

“In Norton Sound, three out of the last four years have been really strong. We’ve had good fisheries up there, and I expect that trend to continue.”

ADFG will release their final figures for the 2017 harvest next spring.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/10/11/strong-year-for-commercial-salmon-harvest-statewide/feed/131498Kotzebue Commercial Fishers Have Options: Two Buyers in Town This Seasonhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/07/13/kotzebue-commercial-fishers-have-options-two-buyers-in-town-this-season/
Thu, 13 Jul 2017 20:10:52 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=30189Copper River Seafoods and Pacific Star will be purchasing fish in Kotzebue. In 2014, the last time there were two or more buyers in Kotzebue, there were more than 100 permitted commercial fishermen in the area.]]>

For the first time in three years, Kotzebue commercial fishermen will have two buyers to sell their fish to.

According to Jim Menard, the area manager for the commercial fisheries division in Norton Sound and Kotzebue, Copper River Seafoods and Pacific Star will be purchasing fish in Kotzebue. How many fish the buyers will be able to hold remains to be seen, Menard says:

“One of the issues with Kotzebue always is what’s called a cargo capacity issue, in that the fish are not cut there. What they do is fly the fish out; so, if we get a big period, they do not have enough cargo space on the airplanes, and that ends up limiting how they are going to fish. So, the buyers will tell me they can’t take fish the next day, so, we’ll pull a period, or they may shorten a period.”

To help address the capacity issue, Pacific Star is planning on bringing a processing vessel to Kotzebue in August and can ultimately stay until the season ends at the end of August, if they choose.

Normally, Menard says the salmon runs in Kotzebue peak in number by mid-August. This is not the same timeframe as it is for the Norton Sound salmon runs, and the fish are different, too:

“Kotzebue chum are more closely related to the Yukon Fall Chum. They come later in the year, and they have a much higher oil content. And so, that fishery will peak the first week of August, usually, and you have the two major rivers, the Kobuk and the Noatak. The Kobuk tends to come in first, and then you have the upper part of the Kobuk coming in when the Noatak starts coming in. The Noatak will come in strong in August, so we’ll have much more fish in the first part of August.”

In 2014, the last time there were two or more buyers in Kotzebue, there were more than 100 permitted commercial fishermen in the area. Menard says the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC) does not give all of the permits out at once; only some people fish with commercial permits for the first couple of periods before the peak of the season in Kotzebue.

Right now, the number of CFEC issued permits is a little bit higher than last year at this time in the season. Menard summarized:

“This year it started out, we’re in the high 30’s (# of permits), so we are about a third higher, more fishing, this year; which we are attributing to two buyers being there, and maybe a little higher price. There seems to be a little excitement with the fishermen; we’ll see how the run plays out. Right now, the catches have been average, but there’s only been two openings right now; we won’t tell until the big part of the runs come in.”

According to Menard, the going price for salmon in Kotzebue right now is 38 cents a pound. He expects about 50 or 60 people will have commercial permits later on in the season.

Ever since I arrived in Nome, I’ve been getting the same question from friends, acquaintances, and even family members back home: “What do you like about Alaska?”

I really like Alaska; I even love it. But it can be hard to come up with examples of why on the spot. I usually end up saying something about the accessibility of nature, something about the closeness of the community, something about the rich heritage of the region. I pause and ramble and jump from point to point. It’s because I like so many things about Alaska that choosing just a few examples feels impossible.

This week, I challenged my fellow volunteers to come to the station with just one object that they love. I figured it would be a fun task for the week of Valentine’s Day. And I have to say, the volunteers really impressed me. Even though they could only bring in one object, they chose items that encapsulate a lot of the bigger themes that make life in Western Alaska so special.

You can hear what the KNOM volunteers love, and why, in this week’s audio blog.

Fact: Nome is 537 miles from the nearest lower-48-connected road and only accessible via plane or boat. Just to drive from my hometown (Evergreen, Colorado) to Anchorage is 54 hours of car time. And as our mayor, Richard Beneville, loves to declare, Nome is part of 375 miles of road connecting Council to the village of Teller. And with gas hovering around five dollars a gallon, most people aren’t driving that distance without a purpose.

Despite those facts, Nome has never felt remote to me.

At around 4,000 people, my college freshman class was nearly 700 people more than Nome’s current population.

And yet, Nome has never felt lonely.

Why is that? On paper, Nome seems like it carries a strong possibility of a rocky transition from city life. Well, it seems that no matter where you go, there is a possibility of rocky transition. In fact, a quick bout of Google searching revealed that tons of people admit to feelings of loneliness even in bustling metropolises like New York City.

These facts and my own personal experience have forced me to reconsider what makes a place feel lonely or far from everything else. Perhaps, the difference between a (possibly) lonely New York and well-adjusted Nome are experiences that can’t be captured in numbers. What Nome lacks in proximity to overwhelming modern amenities it makes up for in the connection found through shared experience.

A shared experience like salmon.

Anyone who lives in Alaska knows it. Salmon has been, and always will be, a big deal. For those involved in subsistence activities, the fish represents an important part of culture. For others, fishing is a time to feel connected to the tundra and a great opportunity for self reflection. For me, it’s been an amazing way to feel a part of Nome’s community.

More people than I can count have offered to take me fishing. Whenever conversation comes to a lull, fishing conditions are always a go-to topic. Wherever I am, I know salmon provides me an automatic connection to anyone — and, therefore, an easy way to dig in and call Nome home.

Salmon is a big deal for other reasons, too! If you want to hear a more in-depth explanation of why salmon is a big deal and why the KNOM volunteers are such a big fan of it, click the audio blog link at the top of the page to hear the group’s thoughts surrounding the tasty fish.

]]>24682Third Pulse of Salmon at Pilot Station; Run Size “Looking Good”http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/06/22/third-pulse-of-salmon/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/06/22/third-pulse-of-salmon/#commentsThu, 23 Jun 2016 01:00:25 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=23466A third pulse of salmon is currently passing through Pilot Station. Their runs are expected to meet pre-season estimates of 130,000–175,000 kings and 1.3–1.8 million summer chum.]]>

A third pulse of salmon is currently passing through Pilot Station. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, early fish are expected around Beaver, today.

Holly Carroll is the summer season Yukon Area Management Biologist with ADF&G. She says the salmon run starts with these early fish, which come in before the first big pulse.

That first pulse this season was recorded at Pilot Station early last week. Carroll says for this third pulse, salmon are still coming into the mouth of the Yukon River in Emmonak. “We might be seeing a four-day pulse right now for that third pulse. So, that’s looking good for the run.”

On a Tuesday conference call for the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association, the ADF&G reported an estimated 83,000 Chinook salmon passing the sonar site at Pilot Station on June 20th. Acting research biologist Sean Larson says that’s above the historical average of 67,000 fish for that date. In addition, summer chum counts were well above historical cumulative data for June 20th: about 608,000 fish were counted. Larson echoes Carroll’s emphasis on a good run so far, saying, “we still have a lot of fish to see, but things are looking pretty good at this point in the season.”

Salmon runs are still expected to meet pre-season outlook ranges, which remain at 130,000 to 175,000 kings and 1.3 to 1.8 million summer chum.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/06/22/third-pulse-of-salmon/feed/123466Summer Yukon Salmon Runs Predicted to be Below Averagehttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/06/10/summer-yukon-salmon-runs-predicted-to-be-below-average/
Fri, 10 Jun 2016 15:00:54 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=23285Salmon fishing is underway on the Yukon River, but runs are expected to be below average this summer season.]]>

Nome, Alaska– Salmon fishing is underway on the Yukon River, but runs are expected to be below average this summer season.

Sean Larson is a research biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

“Based on above average temperatures and early ice-out, we are predicting a drainage-wide return of 130,000 to 175,000 Chinook salmon this year,” Larson said.

On a teleconference, Larson and other Fish and Game biologists heard from locals all along the Yukon River, from Emmonak at the mouth to small Canadian towns across the border. Lisa Bifelt called in from Huslia, a village of just under 300 along the Koyukuk River.

“I finally put out a net yesterday, but didn’t catch anything,” Bifelt said. “Several other people are fishing, and I’m pretty sure they’re not catching any salmon, but some people are catching pike, sheefish and whitefish,” she explained.

Carroll is a Fish and Game biologist and the Yukon’s summer season manager. She said Fish and Game is taking a conservative approach for Chinooks, with the hope that an average chum run will help fill people’s freezers.

“I would caution fisherman to bear with us and hold tight,” Carroll urged. “Hopefully as these chum build, you might be more successful for your subsistence harvest for chum with your dipnet.”

Fish and Game does expect the chum runs to pick up later in the season, potentially with enough surplus for a commercial harvest in the fall.

The Board of Fisheries meeting wrapped up in Fairbanks last week, making changes to the Yukon, Kuskokwim, and Arctic fisheries. With more than 35 proposals for the Yukon and Kuskokwim, there were some that failed and others that passed by a tight margin of four to three.

In contrast to the hours of deliberation needed for the long list of proposals, the Arctic region, which includes Port Clarence and the Norton Sound, had just six, all of which passed unanimously and in under one hour.

The proposal that took the longest to pass was put forth by the Department of Fish and Game. Jim Menard is the Arctic Area Manager and presented it to the Board.

“This proposal would provide the department flexibility to allow subsistence beach seine gear harvest to harvest abundant salmon species while protecting less-abundant specific salmon species by requiring the release of that salmon species for conservation purposes,” Menard explained.

In other words, Fish and Game is trying to increase subsistence opportunities by allowing the use of beach seines even in times of conservation. The assumption is that species that need conserving, such as kings, could simply be live-released if they hit the net.

Board member Fritz Johnson had his doubts.

“If you could use a 6-inch gillnet, for instance, as your beach seine, it would seem that you wouldn’t be able to release a salmon with the expectation that it would survive,” Johnson said. “Should there be something attached to this that defines a beach seine in this area?”

There are some restrictions in place for the length of a beach seine, but there aren’t any for the mesh size in Norton Sound’s Subdistrict 1. But, as Menard described to the board, the region being discussed has mostly small streams that require mostly small nets.

While that did suppress some doubts, the board’s Chairman Tom Kluberton still wanted the net size to be clearly defined.

“The only comfort level I can find with this is that if these are small, clear streams, they probably know what they’re chasing with that net,” he said, adding, “one could only hope that they’re chasing target species and not non-target species, but my comfort level would go way up if we had a definition.”

In an effort to define the net’s size, there was a motion to adopt the same definition used for the Yukon River.

But, after further deliberation, nearly everyone was convinced that requiring subsistence users to fish with a specific net size would add additional and unnecessary costs, when most already fish with an appropriate sized net.

The board then ran through the Arctic’s five other proposals, pertaining to the fishery’s southern boundary, the use of cast nets, the timing of subsistence fishing periods, commercial beach seining, and gillnet sizes. Those five other proposals presented to the board also passed unanimously.

The Alaska Board of Fisheries is meeting in Fairbanks this week. The board has reviewed proposals for the Yukon and Kuskokwim fisheries and today will review those for the Arctic.

There were over twenty proposals for the Yukon, fifteen for the Kuskokwim, while the Arctic fishery, which includes Norton Sound and Port Clarence, had just six.

Jim Menard, the Arctic Area Manager for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, says that’s because of the year they’ve had.

“This past year was the greatest silver catch ever in the commercial fishery and chum was the best since the 80s, so our commercial harvest has been good.”

Menard says the requested changes are, “pretty straightforward.”

There were four subsistence proposals, one boundary proposal, and one commercial fishery proposal.

Norton Sound’s current and proposed boundary with the Yukon fishery at Point Romanof. Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game

The Southern Norton Sound Fish and Game Advisory Committee submitted the sole commercial proposal, requesting the use of beach seines. The committee argues that beach seines allow for the selective harvest of surplus pinks and chums, while minimizing the incidental harvest of king salmon.

The conservation of king salmon was also the theme of the subsistence proposals.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is requesting the ability to restrict gillnet sizes in the areas south of Unalakleet. As of now, Fish and Game is limited to either keeping it open or closing subsistence fishing entirely in times of conservation.

“But another tool in our box,” Menard explained, “would be if we could reduce the mesh size while still keeping it open down in Stebbins and St Michael for those people who subsistence fish and still be able to protect king salmon that were bound for Yukon River or northern Norton Sound drainages.

There were two citizen-submitted proposals, one requesting the use of cast nets in the region’s subsistence fishery, noting the low cost, ease of use, and ability to fish selectively.

The second had little to do with gear restrictions and more to do with timing. Thomas Sparks, author of the proposal, explained that it would expand the fishing periods in the Nome subdistrict, “so that when the weather is more conducive to catching fish and drying fish that we can have extended hours to do so.”

Finally, the Board will review the sole boundary proposal, which would change Norton Sound’s southern boundary with the Yukon fishery. The current boundary extends directly west out of Point Romanof, while the proposed boundary would extend northwest from the same point.

The Board of Fisheries will review the Arctic’s commercial, subsistence and boundary proposals today and will then vote on all of Western Alaska’s fishery proposals on Friday.

With summer coming to an end in just a few short (and getting shorter) days, I wanted to take this moment, utilizing this cyber-venue, to offer an overview of my first two months in Nome.

I arrived here on July 10 and was immediately whisked away to a dream-like camp on Cape Nome.

Camp at Cape Nome. Photo: Emily Russell, KNOM

It was a whirlwind first few days, but I couldn’t have asked for better weather, better hosts, and a better group of people to welcome me to my new home.

The weeks that followed my arrival were equally as whirlwind-ish, largely due to the surge of salmon that were flooding the waters of Norton Sound. My first ever story for KNOM was on the region’s strong chum runs, and along with reporting on salmon, I also went out fishing for them quite a few times.

Special mention needs to be made to the entire Schmidt family for helping us fill our freezer. Rosa taught myself and my fellow KNOM vols how to filet a salmon, Sam proved his unparalleled (#sorrymitch) ability to stand in cold water for long periods of time, hauling out over 35 salmon from a net we set in the Pilgrim River, their mother Lynette stood watch, offering encouragement and some sleeve-rolling when my own hands were too bloody to do so, and Ric has approved the use of the station’s car in support of our freezer-filling endeavors.

Aside from quite a salmon-focused summer, I’ve also checked off a few bucket-list items already, including driving to the end of the Kougarok Road:

End of the Kougarok Road. Photo: Emily Russell, KNOM.

I’ve hiked Nome’s nearest mountain more times than I can count on both hands, and sometimes, I was even lucky enough to do so with some canine companions: